c. j. langdon, president. j. d. f. slee, vice president. w. l. kingman, treasurer. w. d. kelly, secretary.
the mcintyre coal company 
presidents office
elmira, n.y. Sept. 8 187 9
My Dear Frank:
A stranger writes me that the A P Co have had a new book of his under consideration for some time. Now if we publish my new book through the A P Co., let us have a written agreement with them that they shall not canvas any books but mine from between this present date & a date 9 months after the actual publication & issue of my forthcoming book.
They put off the Imnnocents a whole year, in direct violation of contract, in order to run in two new books—but no matter about that, my object in leaving them was to have an entirely unencumbered field—& if I return to them, I don’t want any books (new or old) canvassed but mine until my new book shall have had its full run.
Will you fix this?
You will perceive that my book is not finished. I shall finish it here, after the MS comes back to me. There is nearly matter enough, but I shall probably strike out as well as add.
Yrs Truly
S L C.
This letter is not dictated by malice, but only in the interest of “business.”
Source text(s):Previous publication:Henkels catalog, 28 January 1925, no. 1368, lot 56, paraphrase; MTLP, 118–19.
Provenance:There is a handwritten transcript of the MS by Dana Ayer at WU-MU (see Brownell Collection in Description of Provenance). The MS was offered for sale by Henkels
in 1925 and purchased by CLjC
before August 2000.
